The COVID-19 pandemic started over 2 years ago and spread rapidly throughout the world. The total number of cases and deaths is still increasing and the situation remains active across the globe. In the Asian region, COVID-19 vaccination began in early 2021; however, the COVID-19 situation remains uncertain. This study aims to compare the factors that influenced the COVID-19 pandemic situation in three countries in Asia (namely, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan) throughout 2021. This ecological study utilises the data from the ‘Our World in Data’ website. In this study, the COVID-19 pandemic situation in each country is described by looking at the average daily number of deaths and cases per million population throughout 2021. A paired t-test was conducted to compare the significance of differences in the pandemic situation between 2020 and 2021. In addition, the COVID-19 vaccination profiles throughout 2021 were investigated. A multiple linear regression analysis was then performed to develop models to explain the factors influencing the COVID-19 pandemic situation in these three countries. The COVID-19 pandemic situation in Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan in 2021 is significantly different from 2020. Malaysia had the highest COVID-19 vaccination coverage (79.4%), followed by Taiwan (78.5%) and Indonesia (58.3%). This study found that the following three factors consistently influenced the number of deaths and cases in these three countries [1]: positivity rate [2]; number of tests per 1000 population; and [3] number of tests per case. Although the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic situations in Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan was different, it is significantly influenced by the quality and quantity of COVID-19 testing and screening, in addition to the vaccination programmes and restriction policies implemented in each country. As a result of the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to mutate, it is recommended that each country strengthen their comprehensive approach to have an effective and efficient coping strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global concern, compromising the effectiveness of treatments for infections and being referred to as a silent pandemic. This study examines the factors associated with AMR awareness and capacities across 103 countries from 2017 to 2020. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether factors such as Human Development Index (HDI), Civil Liberties (CL), Gender Equality (GE), Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Healthcare Workforce Density (HWD), and State Party Self-Assessment Annual Report (SPAR) scores are significantly associated with countries’ AMR awareness and capacities. The results identified that the majority of countries had Very High HDI, Full Freedom, Fair GE, Low UHC, High HWD, and Low SPAR scores. However, despite these generally favorable profiles, the majority still lack sufficient awareness and capacity to address AMR. This underscores the importance of strengthening AMR awareness and capacities globally, regardless of a country’s characteristics. Significant associations were observed between these factors and AMR awareness and capacities (χ²). UHC emerged as the only factor significantly associated with AMR capacities, where countries with low AMR capacities are more frequently found among countries that also have poor UHC (OR = 10.49, 8.96, and 12.92 across various models; all p < 0.05). This finding highlights the potential to improve the AMR capacities of countries through the achievement of UHC targets.

Background: Indonesia launched a nationwide school-based HPV immunization program in August 2023. Despite this, regional disparities in vaccine uptake persist. Therefore, we undertook a study in North Sumatra Province to assess HPV vaccination coverage and analyze the main factors affecting the uptake of HPV vaccination. Methods: This study employed a mixed-methods approach and was carried out in Medan and Deli Serdang of North Sumatra Province. Quantitative data were used to examine HPV coverage rates among school-aged girls in 2024, while qualitative interviews with parents, teachers, and health officers explored administrative, social, and behavioral barriers and facilitators. Results: In 2024, HPV vaccine coverage in Deli Serdang reached 62.09%, while Kota Medan lagged behind at just 27.20%. High-coverage schools in the Galang subdistrict benefited from proactive engagement between Puskesmas (community health clinics) and parents. In contrast, lower-coverage areas experienced logistical and communication challenges. Parents expressed a preference for face-to-face communication over written consent forms and emphasized the importance of clear, empathetic messaging. Conclusions: The stark contrast in coverage—particularly the low uptake in urban Kota Medan—highlights the need for more responsive and localized implementation strategies. Strengthening direct communication, addressing administrative inefficiencies, and fostering trust through tailored community engagement are critical. These findings suggest a need for targeted improvements in urban settings and further research across diverse regions to inform policy development and strategies for improved coverage of HPV vaccinations.

Background: COVID-19 is hitting the world hard despite the requirement to establish minimum core capacity by the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005. In addition, COVID-19 was most severe in countries reporting good IHR capacities, such as the US, UK, Germany, and France. This study aimed to identify changes in the average score of member countries' IHR self-evaluation capacity (e-SPAR) in 2020 compared to 2019, then analyze the factors that influenced it. For that purpose, first, we calculated the absolute difference between e-SPAR scores in 2019 and 2020 of 154 countries. Then Wilcoxon Sign-rank test was performed to identify its significance. After Chi-Square Test, Multiple Regression Analysis was applied to analyze the relationship between countries’ changes in e-SPAR scores and their COVID-19’s case fatality rate (CFR), Human Development Index, Civil Liberties, and Government Effectiveness. Results: Our findings showed that the average e-SPAR score in 2020 was significantly higher than in 2019. Of the 154 countries, the e-SPAR score of 98 countries (63.63%) was increased in 2020. Among this group, 63 countries (64.28%) were middle-income countries. Capacities about Risk Communication, National Health Emergency Framework, and Ports of entry were the three capacities that experienced the most significant increase. Meanwhile, among 56 of 154 countries (36.36%) whose scores did ​​​​not increase, 26 countries (46.42%) were high-income countries. The IHR coordination and National Focal Points, Food Safety, and Risk Communication were the only capacities that significantly decreased during the pandemic. Our model showed that COVID-19 CFR influenced the changes in e-SPAR scores of 154 countries (p<0.01), as well as the countries whose score increased (p<0.05), but not the countries whose e-SPAR score did not increase.Conclusion: We concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic is an alarm for countries to re-evaluate their capacities more carefully. Continues external evaluation approach like Joint External Evaluation (JEE) should be a necessary approach for future preparation.

Background: Women’s literacy is often associated with the health status of family members, especially children. Unfortunately, in some regions of Southeast Asia, the rates of women’s literacy are still very low, and in these areas, children’s mortality rates are also very high. This study aims to identify the association of women's literacy and children’s mortality rates among countries in the Southeast Asian region from 2015 to 2019. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, children’s mortality rates were defined as mortality rates in newborns and under-fives. Besides women’s literacy (WL), we also assessed the Human Development Index (HDI), Freedom Status (FS), Government Effectiveness (GE), and the proportion of births assisted by skilled health staff (BASHS) as the independent variables in this study. First, we describe the profiles of WL as well as newborn and under-five mortality rates among 11 countries in Southeast Asia from 2015 to 2019, and then we assess the correlations. Results: Between 2015 to 2019, Myanmar, Lao, and Timor-Leste had the highest child mortality rates. In addition, these four countries were the countries with the lowest WL rates compared to other countries. Children’s mortality rates were significantly associated with WL, GE, HDI, and BASHS. Meanwhile, this study found that the FS of a country was not significantly associated with the children’s mortality rate of countries in the Southeast Asia region. Conclusion: This study found that there’s an indication that the better the WL rate, as well as the governance, the HDI, and maternity services in a country, the lower its children’s mortality rates. Therefore, improvement in multiple sectors such as governance, economy, health system, education, and gender equality is required to help countries in this region achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals target by 2030.

Background: Women’s literacy is often associated with the health status of family members, especially children. Unfortunately, in some regions of Southeast Asia, the rates of women’s literacy (WL) are still very low, and in these areas, children’s mortality rates (CMR) are also very high. This study aims to identify the changes and correlation between women's literacy and children’s mortality rate among Southeast Asian Countries in the last 3 decades. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 11 Southeast Asian countries; Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam. The WL and CMR were the independent and dependent variables respectively. The CMR was measured by mortality rates in infant (IMR), neonatal (NMR), and under-fives (UFMR). We collected data for all variables from the World Bank website, and used the data from 1991 to 2020 for analysis. Kruskal–Wallis and Pearson correlation test were performed to identify the significant difference between variables and its correlation respectively. Then, we conducted linear regression analysis to identify how the WL affected the CMR in 11 Southeast Asian countries from 1991 to 2020. Results: In the last 30 years period, we found that the CMR trends in Southeast Asian countries vary. Moreover, during the same period, WL and CMR were changed significantly. Across these 11 countries, the correlation between WL and IMR was the highest (R=0.805). However, only 65% of IMR can be explained by WL ​​(R2=0.65). Conclusion: This study found that women's literacy had a significant impact on CMR in Southeast Asian countries. However, improvement in multiple sectors including governance, economy, freedom, health system, education, and gender equality is required to help countries in this region achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals target by 2030.